New Britain's Legislative Delegation Re-elected

The city’s dominantly Democratic legislative delegation won re-election by wide margins Tuesday, with even the one race that was expected to be tight ending up as a blowout.

In the 24th District, Rep. Rick Lopes held off a tough challenge from fellow Democrat Sharon Beloin-Saavedra, who ran on the Republican line.

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Leaders from both parties had anticipated a close finish, but unofficial figures Tuesday night showed Lopes winning 4,145 to 2,645. Beloin-Saavedra conceded around 9 p.m.

Lopes’ victory completed a sweep for New Britain Democrats, as his fellow incumbents Sen. Theresa Gerratana, Rep. Bobby Sanchez and Rep. Peter Tercyak also won re-election. Republican Rep. William Petit, whose district is mostly in Plainville, also won another term.

Beloin-Saavedra was a crossover candidate, a long-time Democrat running on the Republican ticket.

She called herself “the purple candidate” and promised a bipartisan approach to issues and government, but that theme and her strong alliance with Republican Mayor Erin Stewart weren’t enough to overcome the city’s heavily Democratic voter base.

“I’m a little stunned,” Lopes said. “I saw she worked hard and I ramped it up — I knocked on 3,000 doors. This shows the people were energized.”

Lopes has served the 24th District since 2012. His district is more conservative than Sanchez’s or Tercyak’s, and the GOP has targeted him — unsuccessfully — each election cycle.

“This is a great, great victory. This sends a message not just to New Britain but to everywhere else — we are solid blue,” Gerratana said in her victory speech.

Sanchez said people in his district are furious about Republican policies on immigration and health care.

Beloin-Saavedra was a reliable top voter-getter for Democrats during her years as school board president, but she had a falling-out with party leadership in 2012 when she lost the nomination to run to Lopes. She and Democratic leaders were at odds ever since.

She and Lopes campaigned hard this fall, and worked to the end.

In the drizzly gloom late Tuesday afternoon, Lopes and Beloin-Saavedra sat in lawn chairs a few dozen yards from each other outside the Slade School, each trying to win over a few final undecided voters. They greeted arriving voters in the driveway even as the growing darkness made it hard to see faces clearly. When the rainfall got worse, neither gave up. Lopes went to his car for an umbrella and Beloin-Saavedra went under the large tent that her husband had put up on the Slade lawn.